Sacramento, California — Domantas Sabonis I broke my right thumb 5 days ago. Surgery is the cleanest route to fix it. However, according to league sources familiar with the situation, the procedure has been discussed behind the scenes in the last 72 hours and will involve four to six weeks of absence. That means Sabonis will miss about 20 games.
This was revealed to Sabonis.In response he said he could not miss That length of time. He is told that this injury – an avulsion fracture in the thumb of the non-shooting hand – can be digested while still functioning.
Sabonis missed one game and lost on Tuesday nugget, while medical staff work to reduce swelling. It has subsided enough for him to return for Wednesday’s rematch with Denver. He had his 31 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and guarded. Nikola Jokic most of the night and kings escaped with a 127-126 victory.
“It’s been a long summer,” said Sabonis. “A lot of expectations[of the team]. Everyone has put in a lot of work. Missing a large number of games didn’t seem right. It can be done.”
This speaks to the desperation of the moment, not just for players, but for franchises that have traded Tyrese Halliburton to get him. Sabonis is 26 years old, in his prime, and competing in his All-Star season. He’s only making $18.5 million this season and $19.4 million next season. This was a pivotal time for him professionally, and part of the immediate importance was tied to the team’s success, proving that he could be the centerpiece of a winner.
The Kings are in a vengeful battle to end their much-discussed 16-year playoff drought. So many personnel moves they made, including the Sabonis deal, were part of a grand plan to kill that dragon in April 2023.
Out of context, it doesn’t seem too shocking that Sabonis missed 20 games during an 82-game marathon. But go back to that moment and look at the standings. With his 18-15 record, the Kings are gripping the sixth seed in a crowded Western in his conference. Here’s a snapshot of the current standings:
1. pelican: 22-12
2. Nuggets: 22-12
3. Grizzlies: 20-13
Four. clippers: 21-15
Five. sands: 20-16
6. Kings: 18-15
7. Mavericks: 19-16
8. blazer: 18-16
9. jazz: 19-18
Ten. Warriors: 18-18
11. timberwolves: 16-19
12. Thunder: 15:00-19:00
Expand the loss column. The Kings are three spots away from the top seed, but only three spots away from the 10th seed and four spots away from the 12th seed. A few bad weeks can send mountains plummeting. Sacramento is already in a brawl, Hornets, Wizard The Nuggets during this homestand need to get the ship back quickly before their schedules get stuck.
It seems like an impossible task without Sabonis. He’s an innovative player for them. Forget the 18.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists count. When he was on the floor this season (1,079 minutes), the Kings offensively had him rated 118.9 and netted him a plus-5.9 rating. They surpassed their opponents with his team-high 125 points.
what if he sits down? In 510 minutes, the Kings offensive had his rating dipped to his 104.9, worse than the league’s least efficient offense. It has a net rating of minus 5.0. They trailed him by 72 points. They get lost without an internal bruiser that also acts as a hub for their flowing attacks. Backup options behind him — Alex Ren, Rishaun Holmes, Chimeji Metu, Nemias Kueta —his skill set cannot be duplicated.
So it’s safe to assume that the difference between 20 games with and without Sabonis will be significant. Maybe he’s talking about 12-8 compared to 6-14. Given the crowded conference conditions, a six-win midseason gap could easily prove the difference between ending the drought or staying thirstier than ever.
“I don’t like sitting on benches,” Sabonis said. “Especially streetwear. It wasn’t on my mind. I told everyone I was still playing.”
Kings is lucky that he has that kind of mindset. Sabonis was great Wednesday against the Nuggets. He made 12 of his 18 shots and two of his 3-pointers, keeping Sacramento out of hand while his teammates struggled before playing a key role in a desperate fourth-quarter comeback. kept within reach. If he wasn’t there, it was the previous night that he rested, so it’s very likely a loss.
‘He literally has a broken thumb,’ says teammate De’Aaron Fox Said. “Go out and play through that kind of pain against (Jokic)…he goes out. , he knows he’s going to get banged, he’s out there and it shows how tough he is, he wants to win.
“When he came here it wasn’t just for the future. He wanted to come here and win the game now.”
This is an injury that will not heal without surgery, and will continue to harm Sabonis over the next few months due to his desire to play. Thing. He wore a padded wrap on Wednesday.
The question is whether it will affect his performance. Against the Nuggets, the first notable change was in the post defense. While guarding Jokic early in the game, he tried to keep his hands out of trouble and absorb body blows to his chest.
“My chest hurts now because I couldn’t use my hands much,” Sabonis admitted to reporters after the game, after an hour-plus therapy session that included a cold bath.
Hide is too strong a word, but this is the first quarter post-up and it looks like Sabonis is trying to keep his wrapped hands from getting hit.
But everything else seemed mostly manageable. The right thumb is part of the jumper’s guide his hand, and Sabonis spent one of his best nights of the season away from the restricted area, putting 3 into his 2 and his 2 mid-rangers. , made 5 of 8 free throws.
“Try not to think about it,” Sabonis said. “I’m done warming up. The medical staff did a great job. People kept asking me[about thumbs]. I’m like, ‘Stop asking me.'” “
Most notably, he seemed willing to use that hand to grab rebounds, drive through traffic, and even tap loose balls. Here he’s stabbing Jokic’s pass early in the third quarter and deflecting it with his right hand. During the sequence, he also grabbed a long rebound and pushed it forward. Harrison Barnes with both hands.
But it was a last-minute possession that bodes well for the Kings. Sabonis defends Jokic as Sacramento leads him by two. Sabonis was narrowly out of position after a quick pick-and-roll action, with Jokic stepping on his drive to the left. Even as he passed, Sabonis did not give up playing. He uses his padded right hand and broken thumb to hit Jokic’s right arm to prevent layups and force free throws.
It might be a sore thumb, but what he didn’t hesitate to make was an instinctive play from the physical Sabonis.
When he first injured his thumb, was sidelined against the Wizards, and spent the next few days tackling treatment options, it wasn’t just his short-term health, but the long-term that would help the Kings maintain their playoff position. There was reason to be concerned about the ability. Sabonis’ game against the Nuggets should ease some of that building anxiety.
(Sabonis top photo: Rocky Widner / NBAE via Getty Images)
